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Diodorus Siculus · Bibliotheca Historica §19.62.1-19.62.9

Ptolemy's Counter-Decree and Mobilization of Forces

Passage 139 of 301 · Greek

Summary

Ptolemy strengthens his alliances by declaring support for Greek autonomy and dispatches reinforcements to Cyprus and Caria. Meanwhile, Antigonus mobilizes his newly consolidated fleet to secure control over the Peloponnese and the Aegean islands.

§19.62.1ἅμα δὲ τούτοις πραττομένοις Πτολεμαῖος μὲν ἀκούσας τὰ δεδογμένα τοῖς μετʼ Ἀντιγόνου Μακεδόσι περὶ τῆς τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἐλευθερίας ἔγραψε καὶ αὐτὸς τὰ παραπλήσια, βουλόμενος εἰδέναι τοὺς Ἕλληνας ὅτι φροντίζει τῆς αὐτονομίας αὐτῶν οὐχ ἧττον Ἀντιγόνου·
While these things were being done, Ptolemy, having heard what had been decreed by the Macedonians with Antigonus concerning the freedom of the Greeks, wrote similar things himself, wishing the Greeks to know that he cared for their autonomy no less than Antigonus did.
§19.62.2οὐ γὰρ μικρὰν ῥοπὴν ὁρῶντες οὖσαν ἑκάτεροι προσλαβέσθαι τὴν τῶν Ἑλλήνων εὔνοιαν διημιλλῶντο πρὸς ἀλλήλους περὶ τῆς εἰς τούτους εὐεργεσίας.
For each of them, seeing that to win the goodwill of the Greeks was of no small weight, contended with one another in conferring benefits upon them.
προσελάβετο δʼ εἰς τὴν συμμαχίαν καὶ τὸν τῆς Καρίας σατράπην Κάσανδρον, ἰσχύοντα καὶ πόλεις ἔχοντα τεταγμένας ὑφʼ ἑαυτὸν οὐκ ὀλίγας.
He also associated in the alliance Cassander, the satrap of Caria, who was powerful and had not a few cities arranged under his authority.
§19.62.3προαπεσταλκὼς δὲ τοῖς ἐν Κύπρῳ βασιλεῦσι στρατιώτας τρισχιλίους ἐξέπεμψε τότε δύναμιν ἁδράν, σπεύδων συναναγκάσαι τοὺς ἐναντιοπραγοῦντας ποιεῖν τὸ προστασσόμενον.
Although he had already previously sent three thousand soldiers to the kings in Cyprus, he then dispatched a strong force, hastening to compel those who acted in opposition to do what was commanded.
§19.62.4Μυρμιδόνα μὲν οὖν τὸν Ἀθηναῖον ἀπέστειλε μετὰ στρατιωτῶν μυρίων, Πολύκλειτον δὲ μετὰ νεῶν ἑκατόν, τῶν δὲ πάντων στρατηγὸν Μενέλαον τὸν ἀδελφόν.
Thus he sent Myrmidon the Athenian with ten thousand soldiers, Polyclitus with a hundred ships, and as general of all of them, his brother Menelaus.
οὗτοι δὲ πλεύσαντες εἰς Κύπρον κἀκεῖ καταλαβόντες Σέλευκον μετὰ τοῦ στόλου συνήδρευσαν βουλευόμενοι τί χρὴ πράττειν.
These men, having sailed to Cyprus and having found Seleucus there with his fleet, held a council to deliberate on what ought to be done.
§19.62.5ἔδοξεν οὖν αὐτοῖς Πολύκλειτον μετὰ πεντήκοντα νεῶν πλεῖν εἰς Πελοπόννησον καὶ διαπολεμεῖν τοῖς περὶ Ἀριστόδημον καὶ Ἀλέξανδρον, ἔτι δὲ Πολυπέρχοντα, Μυρμιδόνα δὲ καὶ τοὺς ξένους εἰς Καρίαν, βοηθήσοντας τοῖς περὶ τὸν Κάσανδρον πολεμουμένοις ὑπὸ Πτολεμαίου τοῦ στρατηγοῦ, τοὺς δὲ περὶ τὸν Σέλευκον καὶ Μενέλαον ὑπολειφθέντας ἐν Κύπρῳ μετὰ Νικοκρέοντος τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν συμμαχούντων διαπολεμεῖν τοῖς ἐναντιουμένοις.
Accordingly, they decided that Polyclitus with fifty ships should sail to the Peloponnese and carry on the war against those around Aristodemus and Alexander, and also Polyperchon; Myrmidon and the mercenaries to Caria, to aid those around Cassander who were being attacked by the general Ptolemy; and those around Seleucus and Menelaus, remaining behind in Cyprus, should carry on the war against their opponents in cooperation with King Nicocreon and the others who were in alliance.
§19.62.6τοῦτον δὲ τὸν τρόπον τῆς δυνάμεως διαμερισθείσης οἱ περὶ Σέλευκον Κερυνίαν μὲν καὶ Λάπιθον ἐξεπολιόρκησαν, Στασίοικον δὲ τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Μαριέων προσαγαγόμενοι τὸν Ἀμαθουσίων δυνάστην ἠνάγκασαν ὅμηρα δοῦναι, τὴν δὲ τῶν Κιτίων πόλιν οὐ δυνάμενοι προσαγαγέσθαι συνεχῶς ἐπολιόρκουν πάσῃ τῇ δυνάμει.
When the force had been divided in this manner, those around Seleucus besieged and captured Kerynia and Lapithos, and having brought over Stasioikos, the king of the Marieans, they compelled the ruler of the Amathusians to give hostages; but being unable to bring over the city of the Kitians, they besieged it continuously with all their force.
§19.62.7κατὰ τοῦτον δὲ τὸν καιρὸν πρὸς Ἀντίγονον κατέπλευσαν ἐξ Ἑλλησπόντου ναῦς τεσσαράκοντα Θεμίσωνος ναυαρχοῦντος· ὁμοίως δὲ ἐξ Ἑλλησπόντου καὶ Ῥόδου κατήγαγε σκάφη Διοσκουρίδης ὀγδοήκοντα.
At this time there sailed to Antigonus from the Hellespont forty ships, under the command of Themison as admiral; and likewise Dioscourides brought eighty vessels from the Hellespont and Rhodes.
§19.62.8προϋπῆρχον δʼ αὐτῷ κατηρτισμέναι ναῦς τῶν ἐν Φοινίκῃ ναυπηγηθεισῶν αἱ πρῶται συντελεσθεῖσαι· αὗται δʼ ἦσαν σὺν ταῖς ἐν Τύρῳ καταληφθείσαις ἑκατὸν καὶ εἴκοσιν, ὥστε τὰς πάσας περὶ αὐτὸν ἠθροῖσθαι ναῦς μακρὰς ἐξηρτυμένας διακοσίας τεσσαράκοντα·
There were also already available to him, fully equipped, those ships among the ones being built in Phoenicia which were completed first; and these, together with those captured in Tyre, amounted to one hundred and twenty, so that in all there were gathered about him two hundred and forty fully equipped warships.
τούτων δʼ ἦσαν τετρήρεις μὲν ἐννενήκοντα πεντήρεις δὲ δέκα, ἐννήρεις δὲ τρεῖς, δεκήρεις δὲ δέκα, ἄφρακτοι δὲ τριάκοντα.
Of these, ninety were quadriremes, ten were quinqueremes, three were nineremes, ten were deciremes, and thirty were undecked vessels.
§19.62.9διελόμενος δὲ τὸν στόλον πεντήκοντα μὲν ναῦς ἐξέπεμψεν εἰς Πελοπόννησον, τῶν δʼ ἄλλων ναύαρχον καταστήσας Διοσκουρίδην τὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν προσέταξε περιπλεῖν τοῖς τε συμμάχοις παρεχόμενον τὴν ἀσφάλειαν καὶ τῶν νήσων τὰς μήπω μετεχούσας τῆς συμμαχίας προσαγόμενον.
Having divided the fleet, he sent fifty ships to the Peloponnese, and having appointed his nephew Dioscourides as admiral of the others, he ordered him to sail around, providing safety to the allies and bringing over those of the islands which did not yet participate in the alliance.
τὰ μὲν οὖν κατὰ τὸν Ἀντίγονον ἐν τούτοις ἦν.
Such, then, was the state of affairs concerning Antigonus.

Notes

  1. 19.62.2τὸν τῆς Καρίας σατράπην Κάσανδρον — The phrase "the satrap of Caria, Cassander" refers to a different person of the same name, distinct from Cassander the ruler of Macedon who is the chief antagonist of Antigonus. Contextually, this Cassander of Caria is the one with whom Ptolemy forms an alliance.
  2. 19.62.5ὑπὸ Πτολεμαίου τοῦ στρατηγοῦ — The "general Ptolemy" mentioned here refers not to Ptolemy the ruler of Egypt (the subject of the main clause), but to his namesake, the general Ptolemy who was the nephew of Antigonus. The seemingly contradictory context of Egypt's Ptolemy sending aid to Cassander of Caria against "Ptolemy" is resolved by recognizing that the attacker is Antigonus' general.
  3. 19.62.8τῶν ἐν Φοινίκῃ ναυπηγηθεισῶν αἱ πρῶται συντελεσθεῖσαι — The partitive genitive `τῶν ἐν Φοινίκῃ ναυπηγηθεισῶν` (of those being built in Phoenicia) modifies the subject `αἱ πρῶται συντελεσθεῖσαι` (the ones completed first). With the main verb `προϋπῆρχον`, `αὐτῷ` acts as a dative of possession, and `κατηρτισμέναι` (fully equipped) functions as a predicate participle.

Cite this passage

Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica §19.62.1-19.62.9. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0060.tlg001.humanitext-grc6:19.62.1-19.62.9

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